Bush to Latin America: Drop Dead

I admit that I stole a page from the New York Daily News with that title ("Ford to City: Drop Dead" was the headline when Gerald Ford said that the Federal Government would not help New York with the fiscal crisis in 1975), but it is worth noting that, according to this piece by Andés Oppenheimer in the Miami Herald yesterday, that our nearest neighbors are the only region in the world that will see a cut in foreign aid in the president's proposed 2005 fiscal year budget:

''We have reduced the overall amount of funding there because we had higher priorities that we had to deal with, of a more serious nature . . . in other parts of the world,'' Powell told the House International Relations Committee on Wednesday. ``It's one of these trade-offs we make.''

It was a rare moment of truth for an administration that, from the very start, proclaimed it would make Latin America a centerpiece of its foreign policy.

You may remember that, during the 2000 presidential campaign, President Bush said, ''Should I become president, I will look south, not as an afterthought, but as a fundamental commitment of my presidency.'' And as recently as Sept. 9, Powell stated, ``There is no region on Earth that is more important to the American people than the Western hemisphere.''

But the fact is that Latin America is the only region in the world that will suffer foreign aid cuts in Bush's proposed 2005 fiscal year budget. While planned U.S. aid for Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia will be either increased or maintained at current levels, economic aid to Latin America will drop from $757 million in 2004 to $721 million in 2005.

'So much for being a `buen amigo,' '' Rep. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., the ranking democrat on the House Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, said in a telephone interview Friday. ``It is shocking that these cuts have been made at a time when Latin American democracies are threatened, and extreme poverty is growing.''

This is disgraceful. What is even more mind-numbing is the administration's complete lack of awareness of the fragility of democracy in the region. All he need do is look at Haiti, look at Peru, Colombia and Venezuela and get a glimpse as to how the progress Latin America made in the 1980's and 1990's in throwing off dictatorships is again threatened.

Oh, yes, they have bigger priorities. "Secret moderates" for one thing.

Comments

[the talking dog]

Tax cuts for the rich stop for no man, and no Latin American nation either. This is simply what being a compassionate conservative means on the international stage.

Hey, its not like he told the truth about speaking Spanish either, is it?

Fair is fair: if he can cut housing vouchers and emergency medical aid and food stamps for people HERE, why should he not follow similar paths abroad. You do get the feeling that the policy is something like "the rapture's coming... what's the big deal?"

I mean, aside from Venezuela (a nation that wasn't exactly getting aid from us, and under Chavez is as much an irritant as anything else), its not like Latin America has anything black and lucrative floating under it that matters to this Administration, is it?

[Randy Paul]

Well, Ecuador does and so does Colombia. Bandiera, we need your expertise!

[Tom DC/VA]

While I think the Bush administration should do more about the Haiti situation, it seems like a perfect opportunity for Brazil to take a step forward on the world stage. Any chance Lula will show leadership on this?

[Will]

It's believed that Bolivia has some of the largest natural gas deposits on the planet. Mexico too is a huge producer. Petroleum exploration in Latin America has not been rigorous, for a lot of different reasons.

[Kevin Hayden]

Repressive governments to the south of us help provide a steady flow of inexpensive workers to our labor pool here. Better check at opensecrets.org to see which of Bush's donors is hiring.